Nazareth House Apostolate Blog: Make Compassion Recession Proof

St. Simeon Skete, Taylorsville Kentucky USA

With St. Simeon, the God receiver, as our patron, the skete seeks to practice the ideals found in our Rule, The Thousand Day Nazareth. In simplicity and poverty, the skete embraces the struggle of inner life through the practice of the Prayer Rope.

See our website at www.nazarethhouseap.org

Donations should be addressed to: Nazareth House Apostolate, 185 Captains Cove Drive, Taylorsville, Kentucky 40071.

Important Notice: All writings, posts, graphics & photographs in this blog are the copyrighted property of (unless otherwise indicated) Nazareth House Media, a division of Nazareth House Apostolate and cannot be copied, printed or used without written permission from NHA Media, Taylorsville, KY.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Make Compassion Recession Proof

³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink....................DID YOU?

I was a stranger and you invited me in.....DID YOU?

³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me.....DID YOU?

I was sick and you looked after me...DID YOU? I was in prison and you came to visit me......DID YOU?

⁴⁰.......'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me..... Matthew 25:35-40

The perpetual runny nose.

Children of all nations suffer from this quite often in their lives, but none so regularly as those living in poverty. Poverty, where there is no "kleenex" ...where market places DO NOT make available to them fifty choices of tissues to wipe their noses (some even with lotion to prevent the discomforts of the well-wiped, but chapped nose). And even if it were available, it would be priced beyond the means of the normal Sierra Leonean. ....So the noses run, the germs spread, the cycle perpetuates.

In America, a runny nose is an annoyance, quickly diverted by a tissue and an antihistamine. This is not the case in Sierra Leone, there is no diversion. This is the case for many of the poor, no diversions, no hope, no quick fixes. It is so hard for us in the West to imagine, a life so impoverished that less than a half of cup of rice a day is considered a luxury. But it is life in this West African Nation...it is the life of many...not a few, not some... but MANY.

We all have excuses why we are unable to give to enable Nazareth House Apostolate to help to come to the aid of these our brothers and sisters in needs. "The recession is weighing heavy on us"; "I can't give enough to make a difference"; "I'll give when things are better for me"; etc. etc. Though they might be legitimate excuses, they keep us from doing the very thing our Lord requires - helping those less fortunate then ourselves. The world constantly tries to tell us what we can't do, but it is time to show the world what we CAN do. Even in the midst of a tumbling economy, let's make our love, our compassion RECESSION PROOF..., putting the needs of our suffering brethren before our wants and excesses.... give today.

Nazareth House Apostolate

2216 Goldsmith Lane

Louisville, KY 40218